


The Best Laid Plans

by Jencala



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Love Confessions, M/M, Payback, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Revelations, Truth Serum, Veritaserum, finding out the truth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 14:53:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13683942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jencala/pseuds/Jencala
Summary: Lily was fuming.  She knew the Marauders were behind the prank, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that James Potter was the one who orchestrated it. She didn’t have any proof to get him in trouble, but she would.





	The Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my Tumblr Valentine's Project
> 
> Anonymous prompt: Jily prompt: Lily tries to get James to confess the truth about a prank by giving him Veritaserum. He ends up spilling all his feelings for her (maybe some embarrassing stuff).

Lily was fuming.  She knew the Marauders were behind the prank, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that James Potter was the one who orchestrated it. She didn’t have any proof to get him in trouble, but she would.

Lily put her plan into motion during Potions class that same day.  She knew she was one of Professor Slughorn’s favorites so talking him into letting her access his private stores for special ingredients for the potion she was working on for extra credit was easy.  She quickly got the ingredients she had said she needed and discreetly slipped a tiny phial of Veritaserum into her robes with no one the wiser.  

Sometimes it paid to be the teacher’s pet.

She was finally able to put her plan into action that Saturday evening after Gryffindor won the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw.  The party in the common room was in full swing, everyone in high spirits because of the victory and Lily left her friends with the excuse of getting another drink.

She grabbed two bottles of butterbeer and discreetly opened one, pouring in a generous amount of the Veritaserum.  She resealed it with her wand, being careful to remember which bottle she held before taking a deep breath and approaching the corner where the Marauders sat holding court.

Sirius and Remus were sitting together on an armchair, Sirius’ arm draped over Remus’ shoulder as they sipped tumblers of Firewhiskey.  James was talking to some of his quidditch teammates, Peter next to him flirting with a pretty Hufflepuff girl she didn’t know.  

She approached the group and James immediately turned to her, a grin lighting up his face as he realized she was walking towards him.   _ Oh Potter, you just wait _ , she thought.

“Evans! Enjoying the party?” James asked, his hand automatically going up to run through his hair.

Lily forced a broad smile. “I am.  Actually I came to congratulate you on a good game.  I don't think we could have won without that save you made.”

James stared at her, slack-jawed, for a moment before Sirius’ voice broke in.

“Prongs, close your trap before a bug flies in!”  Sirius called, earning him a smack on the arm from his boyfriend. “Evans, are you drunk?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “No, Black, I’m not.  I can compliment someone on a game well-played, can’t I?”

She ignored Sirius and turned back to James, handing him the bottle of butterbeer.  “Here, you’ve earned it.”

James took the proffered bottle slowly, a shy smile gracing his face. “Um, thanks...Lily.  This is really nice of you.”

Lily felt guilt well up and quickly pushed it down. She wanted to know if he was responsible for the prank and this was the only way she would have proof.  She watched James open the bottle and take a swig, his eyes still alight at her presence.

She took a sip of her own butterbeer, hoping the truth serum would work quickly as she saw James drink some more.  This was it.

“So, Potter, have you and your friends been playing any pranks lately?” She asked sweetly.

“Nah, last one we did was the week before.”  James replied quickly, a bit taken aback at his answer. He took another drink, his brow furrowed as if wondering why he’d answered honestly.

“Oh, which prank was that?” Lily asked, an innocent smile on her face.

“We hexed all the couches in the common room to bounce everyone off.” James smiled, then shook his head. “Wait, what?”

“Prongs, what are you doing?” Sirius cried.

He looked at Sirius, utter confusion written all over his face. “I don’t know!”

“So it  _ was  _ you!” Lily exclaimed. “ I knew it!  You made me practically fly off that couch and fall face-first onto the floor, showing everyone my knickers!

James was red-faced, apologizing profusely. “I’m sorry, Lily, I didn’t mean for that to happen!”

“You bloody well knew what you were doing when you came up with the idea to hex the couches!”

“It wasn’t me, I swear, it was Moony’s idea!”

Lily stopped, turning to look at Remus who was still sitting next to Sirius, but shaking his head sadly.  “It was you, Remus?”

Before Remus could answer, James piped in. “Oh yeah, Remus is the mastermind behind most of our pranks. Everyone thinks he’s so quiet and rule-abiding because he’s a prefect, but I swear he’s probably the most devious of all of us!”

Remus stood up, pushing his laughing boyfriend back to the armchair and calmly approached Lily and James.  He took the bottle of butterbeer James had just taken another swig from and held it out to Lily. “Care to explain?” He asked her with a smirk.

Lily sputtered. “I have no idea what you’re insinuating, Remus.”

Remus turned to James who was still trying to get the bottle back. “Prongs, I wouldn’t drink anything else Lily gives you.  She spiked this bottle with Veritaserum.”

James looked indignant. “That’s impossible!  My sweet Lily-flower would never do something that underhanded!”

Lily stomped her foot. “I am not your sweet  _ anything _ , Potter!”

James smiled softly. “I know you’re not now, but I’m not giving up.  I know one day you’re going to see that what I feel for you is real and that no one is going to love you the way that I do.”

Lily stared at him, completely amazed. “What?  Potter, that’s ridiculous!  You don’t  _ love  _ me, you don’t know me well enough!”

James gave her an incredulous look. “We’ve lived in the same tower for six years, Lily.  I know enough.”

“That’s impossible.”

James came closer. “I know you take your tea with lemon in the mornings, but with sugar in the afternoons.  I know you’re incredibly smart, but you try so much harder than you need to because you want to prove the bigots wrong about Muggleborns being inferior.  I know you smile whenever you get an owl from your parents, but the fact that your sister never writes you back makes you sad. You wear an extra jumper outside in the winter even under your cloak because you get cold easily and you don’t like to rely on warming charms.  I know that you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and it has nothing to do with your beautiful face.”

Lily was floored. “Wh-what? I...Potter - I don't know what to say.”

Remus broke in. “You gave him the truth serum to get the truth, Lily. Now you have it.” Remus winked at her before going back to sit next to his gob-smacked boyfriend.

“Listen, Lily, “James said softly. “You don’t have to say anything.  I know you think I’m a tosser or your favorite, a  _ toerag _ . But one day... one day you’ll change your mind.”

Lily met his hazel gaze, so earnest behind his glasses, and she felt her stomach twist in knots. “I - I’m sorry I gave you the Veritaserum...James.”

James grinned. “It’s alright.  Sometimes we just need to know the truth.”

He turned back to his friends and Lily stood there for a moment staring at his profile before walking away with a lot on her mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are love. :-)


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